title: The microwave-assisted ionic liquid nanocomposite synthesis: platinum nanoparticles on graphene and the application on hydrogenation of styrene.
abstract: The microwave-assisted nanocomposite synthesis of metal nanoparticles on graphene or graphite oxide was introduced in this research. With microwave assistance, the Pt nanoparticles on graphene/graphite oxide were successfully produced in the ionic liquid of 2-hydroxyethanaminium formate [HOCH2CH2NH3][HCO2]. On graphene/graphite oxide, the sizes of Pt nanoparticles were about 5 to 30 nm from transmitted electron microscopy (TEM) results. The crystalline Pt structures were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Since hydrogenation of styrene is one of the important well-known chemical reactions, herein, we demonstrated then the catalytic hydrogenation capability of the Pt nanoparticles on graphene/graphite oxide for the nanocomposite to compare with that of the commercial catalysts (Pt/C and Pd/C, 10 wt.% metal catalysts on activated carbon from Strem chemicals, Inc.). The conversions with the Pt nanoparticles on graphene are >99% from styrene to ethyl benzene at 100°C and under 140 psi H2 atmosphere. However, ethyl cyclohexane could be found as a side product at 100°C and under 1,520 psi H2 atmosphere utilizing the same nanocomposite catalyst.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 1 Roosevelt Road Section 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan. tyyung@iner.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Jer-Yeu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tung-Yuan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Ling-Kang
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Liu